The Little Missteps We Make
by Neko-Chan in Wonderland
Summary: The small missteppings that sent Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks toppling into each other. How  they met, how they fell in love, and what became of them. RLNT
1. The First Slip Up

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter and JK Rowling is a friggen genius and we all know it.

**A/N:** Entertaining myself as I wait yet again. SIX DAYS.

* * *

"So this is going to be headquarters is it? Charming, really. No wonder you never wanted us to visit back when we were kids." Lupin commented to his friend and fellow marauder, Sirius.

"Ah brings back memories." Sirius said sarcastically, studying his old house with a glare. "Of all the places I never wanted to return to. Oh well, what's done is done, I suppose."

Lupin gripped his shoulder sympathetically. "Where's the rest of the gang, anyway?"

"You mean the ones that are still alive?" Sirius said grimly. They shared a silence, both aware of to whom their minds were wandering.

"Well…" Lupin continued after the long pause. "Dumbledore said a few new people are going to be joining us… so… I think we're supposed to meet them today."

The sound of the door opening alerted them, and one could practically see Sirius's ears perking up at the thought of company after so long. He rushed to open the door, and Lupin lagged behind, taking his time. He wondered how many new faces he would meet, only to bury them as Voldemort and his followers shot them dead, one by one, just like last time. A dark feeling swept through him, and he had the distinct feeling he would not be in the brightest of moods for the rest of the day.

As he reached he could already hear Moody's gruff voice sending out a greeting and as he stepped forward to answer it, uneven and heavy footsteps were heard coming up the stairs. There was a small shriek, and a thud and Lupin felt something crash into his shins, toppling him over backwards.

He blinked as he watched a witch with bubblegum pink hair in spikes upon her head groan in pain from where she lay, sprawled over his legs. She got up and Lupin's bewildered expression met with an apologetic one looking up at him from a heart-shaped face. "S-Sorry!" She cried hastily, before leaping off of him. "Somehow I always end up giving a horrible first impression. I tripped on the last stair."

She offered him a hand and helped him up. "It's no problem." Lupin smiled as he entered a standing position. "I'm Remus Lupin, by the way."

"Wotcher, Lupin." She grinned. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks, a distant relative of Sirius here." She gestured towards Sirius, who nodded acknowledgement. She turned her eyes back on Lupin with a serious expression on her face. "And don't ever call me Nymphadora, or that may just end in a nasty duel. We wouldn't want mutiny in our ranks." She said with a wink.

Lupin couldn't help but smile in return. "Deal, but you call me Remus, okay?"

"Deal." She nodded as the two of them headed back towards the dining hall, apparently not having noticed the others who had gathered by the stairwell.

Sirius grinned wolfishly. "How would you handle it if you thought your favorite niece and one of your best mates looked good together?" He asked nobody in particular.

"I'd say it's a good idea to give them an encouraging nudge."

Sirius turned around, searching for the source of the voice. Dumbledore loomed over him, a knowing smile curving over his lips as he watched the two go.

"Sir!" Sirius jumped and stepped away a bit, surprised. "I didn't realize you had arrived!"

He cast Sirius a wise look. "I'd keep an eye on those two if I were you." With that Dumbledore swept past him, leaving Sirius stunned in his wake.

A smirk crawled impishly onto is face a moment later. "Oh, I will."

And just like that she had tripped into his life. Although they had no clue in the beginning, it seemed everyone else knew where this was going.


	2. The First One Fell

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

**A/N:** Better late than never?

* * *

"Hey, Tonks?" Lupin asked casually as the two sat side-by-side on the curb in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. It was their turn to keep watch for the night, but Tonks never took very well to the night shifts. She looked as if she was going to doze off, and jerked suddenly at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah Remus?" she leaned backwards on her hands, letting her gaze run across the starry sky.

"What _is_ your real hair color?" Lupin squinted at her, trying to picture her with a normal hair color, but the only colors he could imagine her in were glaringly bright and definitely not natural.

Tonks laughed. "Well, my hair color's been changing since I was born, but I guess I'll count the one that my hair always turns while I'm asleep…" Her lips pursed as she bit the inside of her cheek. He noticed she had a habit of doing this while she was thinking.

"What color is that, may I ask?" He raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"No, you may not ask. I hate it." Tonks pouted, turning away from him.

"Come on, it can't be worse than my hair—it's such a boring color in the first place, and now I'm nearly all gray. And I'm only in my forties!" He grinned, running his fingers through his limp locks.

Tonks giggled. "Well, we can't all be a Weasley. And I daresay there are enough of them."

"Yes, they are quite a clan." Lupin gave a very Sirius-like bark of a laugh. "Anymore redheads, and the world would go mad. But I could do without the premature graying."

Tonks' lips twitched into a smirk. "You're young at heart, that's what matters." Lupin gave her a skeptical look. "Oh, okay, so you're a little serious. But hey, I think it's kind of cool. If everyone were like Sirius, forty going on fourteen, then the world would really go mad. People like him and me need a serious guy to keep us in check. And you're not that old looking under the scars."

"Ah the scars. If only I was metamorphic like you, I could hide them a bit." Lupin trailed his fingers absentmindedly over his marred face.

Tonks nudged him with her shoulder. "Don't be like that, they're battle scars! Proof that you are indeed as cool as your somber attitude makes you out to be."

"Thanks?" Lupin smiled unsurely.

"You're welcome!" Tonks chirped before her voice faded into a yawn. They shared another silence side-by-side, before Lupin felt her head droop onto his shoulder.

He shifted his gaze to his left, he caught sight of her bright purple hair turning a mousy brown color at the edges. "Ah-ha!" He exclaimed a little louder than he intended.

Tonks snapped awake, lifting her head so fast that it collided with his chin. The two sat, rubbing their chin (in Lupin's case) and head (in Tonks' case) in pain for a moment.

"What's up? Death Eaters?" Tonks looked around, her eyes wide in a sort of sleep-induced panic.

Lupin laughed. "No, no. It's just… I saw your hair color."

Tonks' face fell into that of utter humiliation. She buried her face in her arms. "Oh god!! You saw that disgusting color??" Her groaned, her words muffled in her robes.

"Hey, it was pretty close to my hair color, if you think that's disgusting." Lupin retorted.

Tonks lifted her head and blinked a moment. " S-sorry!!" She said hastily.

Lupin shrugged. "No, no. It's fine."

"It just… doesn't suit my personality, you know?" Tonks explained slowly.

"Yes, I definitely know what you mean. Everything about you screams bubblegum pink and electric blue. You have some bright purple moments too." He teased, ruffling that violet head of hair. "It's very like you, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It would be bizarre, like if Severus Snape washed his hair."

Tonks snorted with laughter before looking away. "You're such a flirt."

"EH?" Lupin looked so comically shocked at that point, Tonks burst out laughing even harder. "I'm sorry, it was unintentional, I just—"

Tonks elbowed him. "Relax, Remus! I was just joking around!"

Lupin scratched his hair and looked away and an awkward pause passed between them. "I was just making an argument." Lupin mumbled quickly. "That you're just fine the way you are, and your hair color has nothing to do with it."

Tonks' face flooded with color. "T-Thanks. You're pretty fine too. I mean! Like, you're fine the way you are fine. Not like _fine_ fine, just like, fine."

Lupin chuckled. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Never mind." She said quickly, fidgeting with her wand.

The door suddenly opened behind them, and the two jumped, pointing their wands at the intruder.

Arthur Weasley and Moody lifted their hands in surrender. "Jeez, relax you two, it's just me. It's time to switch shifts. Tonks looks like she could use some shuteye." Moody said growled as they dropped their wands.

The two smiled appreciatively as they surpassed them, nodding a greeting to Arthur on their way inside.

Sirius awaited them in the kitchen, having emerged for a midnight snack.

"Wotcher, Sirius."

Sirius raised his eyebrows as he saw the two enter alone, looking nervous every time their elbows bumped. "Am I interrupting something?" He smirked.

"N-no, not at all!!" Tonks stammered very obviously.

Lupin shrugged. "Just coming in from our night watch, I'm starved." Lupin looked ravenously towards Sirius's leftover Shepard's pie.

"Mine." Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Well, you two work that out… I'm going to sleep." Tonks waved wearily, heading towards the door.

"Hey Tonks." Sirius called after her with a rather devilish grin. "You may not be blushing, but your hair is turning pink."

Tonks nearly tripped over. "Good _night_ Sirius." She said sharply. "G-Goodnight Remus." Her voice softened significantly and her hair turned fully pink as she scurried out the door.

"'Night Tonks." Lupin was too busy eying the Shepard's pie to notice any of this.


End file.
